After reading your posts, I think I'm getting a clearer picture here. The "leash laws" comment clued me in. What you call trail riding and what I call trail riding are apparently very different. Sounds like you are actually riding around and through neighborhoods. I can see, then, why you are dog shy. Dogs in neighborhoods will protect their "area" if you come near it. Out on the trails...I mean real trails...dogs have no territory to protect. It is rare to have a dog attack a horse under those circumstances. A dog trailing along with a horseman out on a trail will protect it's "horse and owner" from other dogs, though, and you have to watch out for that. Still, if a dog gets aggressive with my horse, I simply turn the horse into it and let the horse go after the dog. They back off pretty quick with that, and the horse learns not to be afraid of them.

So, what I'm saying is that your comments and the comments of myself and some others on this thread are simply "apples and oranges". They really don't make sense in relation to each other.

Dogs and horses just go together. I don't even own a dog, and I enjoy them when my friends bring them along. In fact one group that I ride with, I feel like I'm on a Fox hunt, because they bring such a gang of dogs that run all over the place. I occasionally help the ranchers round up or push their cows. My horses have to deal with strange cows and strange dogs and the horses do great

I took a neighbor and his boys for a ride, They brought the small kids that had to sit in their dads and big brothers laps and Basset hound that struggled to cross the rivers.

I enjoying meeting new folks and riding new trails. That often means that I get to meet their dogs. Again, I've never had a problem. The dogs figure out how to trail along with the horses

I think some dogs are just better cut out for it than others. My red-heeler is a saintly trail dog, even though we never trained her to be. I take her to the farm as often as possible, partly because she is fat, and partly because she will protect me and alert me if something is amiss. I did most of her training. Sit, lie down, come, stay, shake, jump, high five. And she naturally keeps a safe distance from horses, most of the time. If she gets too bold, I say "Remy, move" and she does.

My other dog, Oreo, is a lab chow mix, and I trained him too, but not well enough for him to respect me at all times like Remy does. He is very ornery and likes to do his own thing, so while I can take him on trails, I typically don't because be might stray too far and get hurt. We have to cross a road and he doesn't always go across, sometimes he'll just run alongside or even in the middle! He also likes to run off. He comes back, but I still don't like him out of my sight.

Sure, if I had been better about training him (I was only twelve, and I was gone for three months in the summer, so I didn't quite understand the importance of strict obedience training), he would be much more reliable. But he would still have the urge to go off on his own, while Rem naturally sticks with me.

Plus, he is WAY too friendly to guard.

Again, training + the dog's natural disposition play very important roles into what makes a good trail dog.Posted via Mobile Device

EDIT: Oreo does everything that Remy does, except for "come". They also both roll over. Not very useful, but still. Remy enjoys pleasing her humans and Oreo likes a pet/scratch/treat. :)

I enjoying meeting new folks and riding new trails. That often means that I get to meet their dogs.

Just the opposite here. I enjoy riding new trails, and meeting new dogs. I usually manage to get along with the humans, too

Kinda funny story: when I broke the wrist, the ER nurse was someone we occasionally ride with. So I say hi & ask about her dogs & horse by name, but it wasn't until my friend came in and started chatting that I got her name. And I can't remember it now, though I do the critters.

I honestly just cannot imagine trail riding without my dog. I have taken her when it is just her, my horse, and I. I have also ridden in groups of 50 or more with at least 2 dozen dogs. Goes together like ham and eggs, peanut butter and jelly, or Scotch and water!

My dog was, I guess you could say natural at it?? When I first took him out on the trail he did amazing listen to every word I said and stayed by me and my horse even when there were other dogs, horses and vehicles he did not wonder off, now I bring on as many trail rides as I can but I did teach him a lot before I took him out I made sure he listen good and I was the one who taught him to do his "tricks" (sit, stay, lay down, ect.) So I would say a good bond between owner and dog is definitely key to having a good trail dog.

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